Nanosecond optical limiting response of sandwich-type neodymium dyphthalocyanine in a co-polymer host

The nanosecond optical limiting characteristics of sandwich-type neodymium diphthalocyanine in a co-polymer matrix of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and methyl-2-cyanoacrylate have been studied for the first time. The measurements were performed using 9 ns laser pulses generated from a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm wavelength. The optical limiting performance of neodymium diphthalocyanine in co-polymer host was studied at different linear transmission. Laser damage threshold was also measured for the doped and undoped co-polymer samples. The optical limiting response is attributed to reverse saturable absorption which is due to excited-state absorption.

Ecophysiology of nontuberculous Mycobacteria in marine aquaculture ponds

The world demand for fish and fishery products is increasing steadily and it is generally accepted that it will not be possible to meet the heavy demand with resources exploited from capture fishery alone. Now aquaculture is well established and fastdeveloping industry in many countries and is a major focus sector for development. During recent decades, aquaculture has gained momentum, throughout the world especially in developing countries. According to Food and Agricultural Oganisation (FAO, 2000), global aquaculture production was 26.38 tones in 1996 have reached 32.9 million tonnes during 1999. Only marine aquaculture sector has contributed 13.1 million tonnes during 1999.India is a major fish producing country. About one half of lndia’s brackish water lands are currently being utilized for farming in order to reduce the gap between supply and demand for fish. Aquaculture has become a major source of livelihood for people and its role in integrated rural development, generation of employment and earning foreign exchange, thereby alleviating poverty is being greatly appreciated around the world.Among the infectious agents, bacteria are becoming the prime causal organisms for diseases in food fishes and other marine animals. Sindermann, (1970) reported that bacterial fish pathogen most commonly found among marine fishes is species of Pseudomonas, Vibrio and Mycobacterium. These can be categorized into primary pathogens; secondary invaders that may cause systemic disease in immunocompromised hosts; and normal marine flora which are not pathogenic but may occur on body surfaces or even within the tissues of the host. I-Iigh density of animals in hatchery tanks and ponds is conducive to the spread of pathogen and the aquatic environment with regular application of protein rich feed, is ideal for culturing bacteria. Bacteria, which are normally present in seawater or on the surface of fish, can invade and cause pathological effects in fishes, which are injured or subjected to other environmental stresses.Mycobacteria except parasites are known as nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM), atypical mycobacteria or mycobacteria other than tuberculosis(MO'l'l"). This group of mycobacteria includes opportunistic pathogens and saprophytes. Environmental mycobacteria are ubiquitous in distribution and the sources may include soil, water, warm-blooded as well as cold-blooded animals. Disease caused by environmental mycobacterial strains in susceptible humans (Goslee & Wolinsky, 1976; Grange, 1987), animals and fishes are increasingly attracting attention. Greatest importance of environmental mycobacteria is believed to be their role in immunological priming of humans and animals, thereby modifying their immune responses to subsequent exposure to pathogenic species.

Pathogens occuring in the winter pea-maize-winter wheat rotation, their host specificity and the potential of compost in suppressing foot and root disease of peas

The overall aim of the work presented was to evaluate soil health management with a specific focus on soil borne diseases of peas. For that purpose field experiments were carried out from 2009 until 2013 to assess crop performance and pathogen occurrence in the rotation winter pea-maize-winter wheat and if the application of composts can improve system performance. The winter peas were left untreated or inoculated with Phoma medicaginis, in the presence or absence of yard waste compost at rate of 5 t dry matter ha-1. A second application of compost was made to the winter wheat. Fusarium ssp. were isolated and identified from the roots of all three crops and the Ascochyta complex pathogens on peas. Bioassays were conducted under controlled conditions to assess susceptibility of two peas to Fusarium avenaceum, F. solani, P. medicaginis and Didymella pinodes and of nine plant species to F. avenaceum. Also, effects of compost applications and temperature on pea diseases were assessed. Application of composts overall stabilized crop performance but it did not lead to significant yield increases nor did it affect pathogen composition and occurrence. Phoma medicaginis was dominating the pathogen complex on peas. F. graminearum, F. culmorum, F. proliferatum, Microdochium nivale, F. crookwellense, F. sambucinum, F. oxysporum, F. avenaceum and F. equiseti were frequently isolated species from maize and winter wheat with no obvious influence of the pre-crop on the Fusarium species composition. The spring pea Santana was considerably more susceptible to the pathogens tested than the winter pea EFB33 in both sterile sand and non-sterilized field soil. F. avenaceum was the most aggressive pathogen, followed by P. medicaginis, D. pinodes, and F. solani. Aggressiveness of all pathogens was greatly reduced in non-sterile field soil. F. avenaceum caused severe symptoms on roots of all nine plant species tested. Especially susceptible were Trifolium repens, T. subterraneum, Brassica juncea and Sinapis alba in addition to peas. Reduction of growing temperatures from 19/16°C day/night to 16/12°C and 13/10°C did not affect the efficacy of compost. It reduced plant growth and slightly increased disease on EFB33 whereas the highest disease severity on Santana was observed at the highest temperature, 19/16°C. Application of 20% v/v of compost reduced disease on peas due to all four pathogens depending on pea variety, pathogen and growing media used. Suppression was also achieved with lower application rate of 3.5% v/v. Tests with γ sterilized compost suggest that the suppression of disease caused by Fusarium spp. is biological in origin, whereas chemical and physical properties of compost are playing an additional role in the suppression of disease caused by D. pinodes and P. medicaginis.

The impact of education and host language skills on the labor market outcomes of immigrants in Spain. 'El impacto de la educación y las habilidades en lengua española en los resultados de la inserción laboral de los inmigrantes en España'.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación

Advent angels : a host of stories, crafts, puzzles and things to do for the days of Advent.

Idóneo para la diversión en los días de Adviento, pues contiene un montón de historias, manualidades, puzzles y juegos para que los niños disfruten con ellos durante este tiempo de preparación a la Navidad.

Influence of host plant heterogeneity on the distribution of a birch aphid

1. The spatial and temporal abundance of the aphid Euceraphis betulae was investigated in relation to heterogeneity in host plant ( Betula pendula) vigour and pathogenic stress. The performance of aphids feeding on vigorous and stressed foliage was also examined. 2. The plant stress and plant vigour hypotheses have been suggested as opposing ways in which foliage quality influences herbivore abundance. In many plants, however, vigorous growing foliage co-exists with stressed or damaged foliage. 3. There was a negative correlation between branch growth ( vigour) and branch stress ( leaf chlorosis), with the most vigorous branches displaying little or no stress, and the most stressed branches achieving poor growth. There was a similar negative correlation between vigour and stress at the level of individual trees, which themselves represented a continuum in quality. 4. At the beginning of the season, E. betulae were intermittently more abundant on vigorous branches than on branches destined to become stressed, but aphids became significantly more abundant on stressed branches later in the season, when symptoms of stress became apparent. Similar patterns of aphid abundance were seen on vigorous and stressed trees in the following year. 5. Euceraphis betulae performance was generally enhanced when feeding on naturally stressed B. pendula leaves, but there was some evidence for elevated potential reproduction when feeding on vigorous leaves too. 6. Overall, plant stress probably influences E. betulae distribution more than plant vigour, but the temporal and spatial variability in plant quality suggests that plant vigour could play a role in aphid distribution early in the season.

Host plant recognition by the root feeding clover weevil, Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera : Curculionidae)

This study investigated the ability of neonatal larvae of the root-feeding weevil, Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal, to locate white clover Trifolium repens L. (Fabaceae) roots growing in soil and to distinguish them from the roots of other species of clover and a co-occurring grass species. Choice experiments used a combination of invasive techniques and the novel technique of high resolution X-ray microtomography to non-invasively track larval movement in the soil towards plant roots. Burrowing distances towards roots of different plant species were also examined. Newly hatched S. lepidus recognized T. repens roots and moved preferentially towards them when given a choice of roots of subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum L. (Fabaceae), strawberry clover Trifolium fragiferum L. (Fabaceae), or perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne L. (Poaceae). Larvae recognized T. repens roots, whether released in groups of five or singly, when released 25 mm (meso-scale recognition) or 60 mm (macro-scale recognition) away from plant roots. There was no statistically significant difference in movement rates of larvae.

Systemic gut microbial modulation of bile acid metabolism in host tissue compartments

We elucidate the detailed effects of gut microbial depletion on the bile acid sub-metabolome of multiple body compartments (liver, kidney, heart, and blood plasma) in rats. We use a targeted ultraperformance liquid chromatography with time of flight mass-spectrometry assay to characterize the differential primary and secondary bile acid profiles in each tissue and show a major increase in the proportion of taurine-conjugated bile acids in germ-free (GF) and antibiotic (streptomycin/penicillin)-treated rats.Although conjugated bile acids dominate the hepatic profile (97.0 ± 1.5%) of conventional animals, unconjugated bile acids comprise the largest proportion of the total measured bile acid profile in kidney (60.0±10.4%) andheart (53.0 ± 18.5%) tissues. In contrast, in the GF animal, taurine-conjugated bile acids (especially taurocholic acid and tauro-β-muricholic acid) dominated the bile acid profiles (liver: 96.0 ± 14.5%; kidney: 96 ± 1%; heart: 93 ± 1%; plasma: 93.0 ± 2.3%), with unconjugated and glycine-conjugated species representing a small proportion of the profile. Higher free taurine levels were found in GF livers compared with the conventional liver (5.1-fold; P < 0.001). Bile acid diversity was also lower in GF and antibiotic-treated tissues compared with conventional animals. Because bile acids perform important signaling functions, it is clear that these chemical communication networks are strongly influencedbymicrobial activitiesormodulation, as evidenced by farnesoid X receptor-regulated pathway transcripts. The presence of specific microbial bile acid co-metabolite patterns in peripheral tissues (including heart and kidney) implies a broader signaling role for these compounds and emphasizes the extent of symbiotic microbial influences in mammalian homeostasis.

The roles of olfaction and vision in host-plant finding by the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

The relative roles of olfaction and vision in the crepuscular host-finding process of a major lepidopteran pest of cruciferous crops, the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella are investigated in a series of laboratory and semi-field experiments. Flying female moths use volatile plant chemical cues to locate and to promote landing on their host, even in complex mixed-crop environments in large cages. Multiple regression analysis shows that both the plant position (front, middle or back rows) and the type of plant (host plant, nonhost plant) are needed to explain the distribution of insects in such a mixed-crop situation. This strong plant position effect indicates that, when host plants are present in a mixture, foraging P. xylostella are more likely to alight on the first row of the plants. The findings are discussed with regard to current theories of host-plant location by phytophagous insects and the possible implications for integrated pest management.

Effects of host plant drought stress on the performance of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.): a mechanistic analysis

1. The growth (increase in height and leaf number) of four grass species was reduced by a -0.5 MPa drought stress, but the performance of an associated herbivore, Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), was not affected consistently. The intrinsic rate of increase of R. padi was reduced by drought stress on three grass species, including Dactylis glomerata (L.), but was unaffected on Arrhenatherum elatius (L.). Therefore, there is no general relationship in the effect of plant drought on an insect herbivore, even among closely related host plant species. 2. Drought stress increased the quality of plant phloem sap, as indicated by increased sieve element osmotic pressure and essential amino acid concentrations. Thus, diet quality could not account for the reduced performance of R. padi under drought stress. The concentration of essential amino acids in the phloem of well-watered A. elatius was, however, lower than that of well-watered D. glomerata, correlating with the decreased performance of aphids on well-watered A. elatius. 3. There were no differences in aphid feeding duration between watering treatments or plant species but sap ingestion rates were reduced significantly under drought stress. 4. Using the measure of dietary amino acid concentrations and the estimate of sap ingestion, the essential amino acid flux through aphids was calculated. Compared with the flux through aphids feeding on well-watered D. glomerata, there was a reduction in aphids feeding on drought-stressed D. glomerata and drought-stressed A. elatius due to lower sap ingestion rates. The flux through aphids on well-watered A. elatius was also reduced due to low phloem essential amino acid concentrations. Thus, the performance of an aphid is correlated with the availability and accessibility of essential amino acids.